Many modern refrigerators contain some sort of beverage dispenser systems. While often times the beverage dispensers consist solely of water lines to dispense water or ice, more sophisticated beverage dispensers may incorporate flavored beverages. The flavored beverages may be produced by passing water through a beverage medium, such as a powder or syrup. The mixture of a beverage medium and water create beverages of different flavors. The beverage media may be stored in cartridges, which are incorporated into the beverage dispensing system.
One problem relates to cartridges which are “single use” cartridges. This means that after the cartridges and their contents are fully used, the entire cartridge is disposed of. By disposing the cartridges, consumers have a negative impact on the environment. Replacing a cartridge after each use may also be costly.
Reuse of single use cartridges may also lead to the risk of chemicals leaching from the cartridge material. There may also be a risk of bacteria growth in the cartridges, which could damage the health of the consumers. Thus, single use cartridges are problematic for a variety of reasons.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a cartridge used with an appliance having a beverage dispensing system that is refillable and reusable.